Boxing head guard



April 29, 1952 s. F. MQORE BOXING HEAD GUARD Filed March 27, 1951 INVENTOR. SAM F. Moons Patented Apr. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 2,594,478

BOXING HEAD GUARD, f Sam F. Moore, iUtica,-.N. Y. Application March 27, 1951,S erial No. 217,846

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to improvements in head gear for combatants in boxing contests and has for its primary object to provide a light weight head guard, which has an air inflated bumper to absorb and cushion the impact of the boxers head striking the mat or post and which is effective to prevent head and eye injuries.

Another object of this invention is to provide a boxing head guard, which will not interfere withthe vision of a wearer or become bothersome and irksome to interfere with the offensive or defensive maneuvers of a boxer and which will not obstruct the face so as to prevent knock out blows being struck with full advantage. I

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable head guard, which includes an adjustable head band, on which an inflatable bumper is circumposed, and a padded protector, which is adapted to overlie the base of the skull and prevent injury thereto.

A furtherobject of this invention is to provide a head protector, which includes an adjustable head band adapted to encircle the head of the wearer and cover the temporal and occipital bones of the head, a single and continuous inflatable member being circumposed on thehead band to provide a pneumatic cushioning means.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a head protector, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is atop plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view thereof;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3, and,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view of the valve means for the inflatable member, taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the head protector l2 includes an expansible head band l4, which is adapted to encircle the head of a wearer. The head band consists of an inner section I6 and an outer section l8, the two sections being disposed in confronting relation and being formed of a light weight material which will snugly engage the skin surface, without chaftlng or rubbing the surface. Both sections are formed with recesses and 22, which are vertically spaced and which. when F the sections are brought together in confronting relation, define channels, in which resilient tubes- 28 and 3B are disposed. The sections are secured together by in and out stitching 3i] and 32, the stitching securing the upper adjoining edges of the sections and the lower adjoining edges of the sections together.

An expansible, accordion type section 34, of elastic rubber or plastic material, is transversely interposed in the head band, the marginal edges diametrically opposed at the front and back of the band. The straps are joined by a connecting strip 44 of leather, which is adjustable in length. Similary, diametrically opposed straps 46 and 48 are stitched to the head band and are connected by a leather strip 50, which is adjustable in length. The leather strips 44 and 50 are crossed and form an open crown, engageable on the head of a wearer.

A single cell, continuous, inflatable member 52 Y is seated in the groove in the outer section N3 of the head band,-the groove being defined by the projecting portions of the head band, which mate a with the recesses in the inner section for accommodating the tubes 28 and 30. A plurality of looking strips 54 are formed on the outer section of the head band for retaining the inflatable member in position, the inflatable member seating in the groove, similar to the mounting of an inner tube on the rim of a tire and being held in place by the locking straps 54. The straps 54 include a pair of complementary sections 56 and 58, which have cooperative snap fastening means 60 formed on their outer adjoining ends, the sections 56 being stitched to the upper edge of the outer head band section and depending therefrom, while the sections 58 ar stitched to the lower edge and extend upwardly therefrom.

The inflatable member 52 is provided with a self-sealing valve 62, as illustrated in Figure 6, the valve including a self -sealing apertured block 64, which is fixed in an opening formed in the outer wall of the inflatable member and a seal 66 disposed in the outer portion of the aperture of th block.

The outer section I8 of the head band is extended, at the rear of the head band, so as to form a substantially rectangular depending section HI and, similarly, the inner section I6 is extended downwardly. so as to form a section 12,

which complements the section 10. A block 14 of resilient material, such as a multi-cellular material, is disposed between the confronting faces of the sections and 12 and stitched therein, so that the sections, together with the block, form a pad, which is adapted to extend over the base of the skull and protect the base of the skull from injurious blows caused by rabbit punches or falls onto the mat or ring posts.

Ear protective sections 16 and I8 depend from the inner section I6 of the head band and are configured to encompass the ears of a wearer, the sections being formed with a plurality of perforations 80 for the admission of air therethrough and having cooperative straps 82 and 84 formed on their outer ends, the straps being joined by an adjustable chin'strap 86, which is adapted to extend under the chin of a wearer.

In use, the inflatable member 52 is inflated, the aperture in the block 64 opening, under the influx of the fluid pressure, until the inflatable member is inflated to the desired extent. For removal, the inflatable member 52 can be deflated and, after releasing the locking straps 54, the member can be removed from its seat or rim on the outer band section l8.

Due to the expansible insert 34, the head band can conform to various head sizes, as the head band encircles the head of a wearer, the head band being properly positioned by the straps 44 and 50 which overlie the, head.

The pad 14 will be disposed at the base of the skull, with the ear protectors l6 and 18 overlying the ears and being affixed in proper positions by the chin strap 86.

Obviously, the head guard can be used in other sporting contests and due to its light weight construction and manner of mounting on the head will not interfere with the efforts of a wearer.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A boxing head protector comprising a circular head band, said band embodying a first section and a second section arranged within and confronting and abutting said first section, each 45 tion, the recesses of said first section facing and forming with the recesses of said second section a pair of channels, an elastic expansible material disposed in each of said channels, the portion of said first section intermediate its spaced recesses forming a seat, cross strap secured to the upper edge of the head band forming a crown, a single cell inflatable member seated in said seat, means for releasably holding said inflatable member in place, ear protectors depending from the head band at diametrically opposed points, and an adjustable chin strap connecting the ear protectors.

2. A boxing head protector comprising a circular head band having an elastic expansible section, cross straps secured to the upper edge of the head band forming a crown, a continuous seat formed on the outer surface of the head 'band, a single cell inflatable member seated in said seat, means for releasably holding said inflatable member in place, ear protectors depending from the head band at diametrically opposed points, an adjustable chin strap connecting the ear protectors, said means including a plurality of cooperating strap means, each of said strap means including a first strap depending from the upper edge of the band, and a second strap extending from the lower edge of the band, said straps overlying the inflatable member and having cooperative fasteners on their adjoining free ends.

' SAM F. MOORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,517,886 Austin Dec. 2, 1924 2,150,290 Mulvey Mar. 14, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,100 Great Britain 1897 350,142 Great Britain June 11, 1931 374,131 Germany Apr. 20, 1923 

